Exhibits
Figge Art Museum
Thursday, February 4, through Sunday, June 5
Well, how about that? It’s the first week of February in the Quad Cities, and there are gorgeous, summery sights everywhere! Fields of wildflowers! Golden-hued sunsets! Irises! Poppies! A child playing guitar on the banks of a gently flowing stream!
You do realize, though, that you’ll have to visit the Figge Art Museum to see all this, right? Because until our weather improves, you can only see that collection of arresting images – along with dozens of equally beautiful pieces – in the Figge’s 39th Annual Rock Island Art Guild Fine Arts Exhibition, on display February 6 through May 15.
After many years of being housed at Augustana College’s Centennial Hall Art Gallery, this year’s juried exhibit, which boasts works by artists living within a 150-mile radius of the Quad Cities, will find the Figge showcasing 53 selections chosen by this year’s juror, Julie Rodreigues Widholm – director of Chicago’s DePaul Art Museum. Widholm will also decide which individuals will receive awards for their accomplishments in painting, photography, mixed media, acrylics, ceramics, and other media, with the competing artists including such familiar area talents as Leslie Bell, Sara Slee Brown, Raphael Iaccarino, Dean Kugler, and Pam Ohnemus.
Not content, however, to debut only 53 artworks on February 6, the Figge will treat patrons to 56 more in its other premiering exhibition Cameo Stones: Hidden Gems in the Figge Collection. On display through May 15, this exhibit showcases, for the first time in 40 years, a dazzling selection of cameo and intaglio stones donated in 1929 by Dr. Clarence T. Lindley, works ranging in size from three inches to a mere quarter-inch in height. Grouped by subject matter into categories that include warriors, historical figures, and mythological creatures, Cameo Stones celebrates the subtle craft of engraving through stunning pieces of ornamental jewelry, giving museum guests an up-close look at an art form dating as far back as ancient-Egyptian times.
And if a combined 109 works aren’t enough for your Figge visit, how about 60 more? In Mississippi River Views from the Muscatine Art Center, on display through June 5, our “Big River” is explored through paintings, drawings, maps, and prints by noted artists including the 19th Century’s Seth Eastman and Henry Lewis. Among the images are early views of Muscatine, Davenport, and Moline, plus a model of the paddlewheel boat River Queen, and all manner of related programming will be presented at the Figge in conjunction with the exhibition.
February 6’s opening reception will feature a gallery talk by Muscatine Art Center director Melanie Alexander and Figge Executive Director Tim Schiffer. March 24’s “Sounds of the Mississippi” finds the River Music Experience’s Ellis Kell sharing the river’s history and music. And on February 4, River Action hosts a Figge reading of Susan Glaspell’s Inheritors – the Pulitzer Prize winner’s 1921 drama set in the Davenport of 1879 and 1920 – with a cast that includes Jessica Denney, Angela Rathman, Jim Seward, Calvin Vo, and ... me. Sorry for the self-promotion. Let me make it up to you with the accompanying image of Pam Ohnemus’ summertime acrylic Midday. You’re welcome.
For more information on the Figge’s current and upcoming exhibits and events, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArtMuseum.org.
Music
The Reverend Robert B. Jones Sr.
Cool Beanz Coffeehouse
Wednesday, February 10, 6 p.m.
River Music Experience
Thursday, February 11, 6 p.m.
Appearing locally as artist-in-residence for the Mississippi Valley Blues Society’s Blues in the Schools program, the Reverend Robert B. Jones Sr. will bring his signature blend of impassioned blues vocals, thrilling instrumentalization, and storytelling talents to Rock Island’s Cool Beanz Coffeehouse on February 10 and the River Music Experience’s Performance Hall on February 11. An interview with TheCountryBlues.com revealed that Jones avoids playing in “lewd places where they mix alcohol and music,” so it makes perfect sense that the artist would be at Cool Beanz and the RME instead of ... you know, my place.
A Detroit native who still makes the Motor City his home, serving as pastor of the Sweet Kingdom Missionary Baptist Church, the 59-year-old Jones’ professional music career began in his early 20s when he started playing popular Detroit venues including the Soup Kitchen Saloon and Sully’s, while also serving as a radio-show host for WDET’s Blues from the Lowlands. His ardent, captivating local performances of spirituals, folk tunes, and blues and roots classics – with the instruments he’s adept on including the guitar, fiddle, harmonica, banjo, and mandolin – quickly led to bookings at the Chicago, Duluth, and King Biscuit blues festivals. And before long, he was sharing stages with numerous legends of his genres, among them John Hammond, Keb Mo’, the Holmes Brothers, Nappy Brown, and Willie Dixon.
With Jones’ rising visibility came offers to perform venues both national and international, the latter of which he did in tours throughout Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. But through all of his stage and festival experiences, the artist has continued to share what he’s learned with students, traveling across the country in his self-developed “Blues for Schools” program and, in the process, earning the International Blues Foundation’s esteemed Keeping the Blues Alive Award in 2007.
Jones’ additional laurels include a pair of Detroit Music Awards for Outstanding Recording & Songwriting and an honored position as Teller-in-Residence for Tennessee’s National Storytelling Center, and his prestigious career has found him collaborating with musicians ranging from the London Blues Society ensemble to actor Jeff Daniels’ band in Ann Arbor, Michigan. So plan on being blown away by Jones during his 6 p.m. Cool Beanz and RME engagements, where you’ll likely learn why famed blues photographer James Fraher says that the artist “is comfortable among juke-joint loud-talkers, fancy-hatted church ladies, and PhDs alike.” PhDs, huh? Crud. A few more years of school and I actually might’ve gotten Jones to perform at my place.
For more information on the Reverend Robert B. Jones Sr.’s area visits, contact the Mississippi Valley Blues Society at (563)322-5837 or MVBS.org.
Theatre
Ragtime: The Musical
Adler Theatre
Wednesday, February 17, 7:30 p.m.
The newest presentation in the Adler Theatre’s Broadway at the Adler series is February 17’s touring production of Ragtime: The Musical, the glorious turn-of-the-(last)-century entertainment that boasts a truckload of rave reviews and award wins and nominations. So prep yourself for the next few paragraphs, folks: It’s Bragtime!
Based on E.L. Doctorow’s kaleidoscopic 1975 novel (which was subsequently adapted for 1981’s Oscar-nominated film), Ragtime follows three groups as they navigate their way through early-20th-Century New York: well-to-do white suburbanites living in New Rochelle; struggling African Americans residing in Harlem; and Jewish immigrants newly arriving from Ellis Island. Their paths all converge in this musical tale of hope, despair, romance, civil unrest, and the elusive pursuit of the American Dream, and theatre critics have been raving about the results since the show’s 1996 debut, with the New York Times calling Ragtime “blessed with beauty, ambition, a smashing wardrobe, and a social conscience,” and Variety raving about this “crisp and appealing” work “deftly weaving together the various storylines through which Doctorow evoked the formative years of this century.”
The show’s original Broadway production scored a whopping 14 Drama Desk Award nominations and 13 Tony Award nods – its four Tony wins including those for Terrence McNally’s book and Stephen Flaherty’s and Lynn Ahrens’ score – and its 2009 revival on the Great White Way earned another seven and six, respectively. But beyond the thrill of Ragtime’s widely acclaimed story, music, and design elements is the fun of seeing its fictional characters interact among recognizable figures of its era.
Are you wondering who pops up, or do you already know? Let’s test your smarts with the following quiz: Which of the following appear on-stage in Ragtime: The Musical, and which don’t?
1) Henry Ford
2) Charlie Chaplin
3) Emma Goldman
4) J.P. Morgan
5) Marie Curie
6) Harry Houdini
7) Albert Einstein
A) Yes, he/she is in Ragtime: The Musical.
B) Nope, he/she isn’t.
For tickets to the Adler’s 7:30 p.m. presentation of Ragtime: The Musical, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Answers: 1 – A, 2 – B, 3 – A, 4 – A, 5 - B, 6 – A, 7 – B. Interestingly, Einstein is a character in Doctorow’s novel but not in the stage musical. Maybe Houdini made him disappear.
What Else Is Happenin’ …?
MUSIC
Friday, February 5 – The Steepwater Band. Roots and blues musicians perform the Rolling Stones’ Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out, with an opening set by the Kris Lager Band. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $11.50-12. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Friday, February 5, and Friday, February 12 – RIBCO Battle of the Bands. Rounds two and three of the annual competition featuring three 45-minute sets of original music. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 9 p.m. For information, call (309)793-1333 or visit RIBCO.com.
Friday, February 5 – Fletcher Rockwell. Concert with the Chicago-based blues and country artists. Red Rodeo (1720 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. $5 cover. For information, call (309)206-8508 or visit TheRedRodeo.com.
Saturday, February 6, and Sunday, February 7 – Quad City Symphony Orchestra: Song & Dance. The fourth Masterworks concerts of the year with guest violinist Livia Sohn and a repertoire featuring Grieg, Barber, and Beethoven. Saturday: Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport), 8 p.m., $6-48. Sunday: Augustana College’s Centennial Hall (3703 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). 2 p.m. $6-38. For tickets and information, call (563)322-7276 or visit QCSO.org.
Saturday, February 6, and Sunday, February 7 – Carlisle Evans Peck. Concerts with the Minneapolis-based singer/songwriter, composer, and Geneseo native. Saturday: Ca’ d’Zan (411 South Road, Cambridge), 6:30 p.m., $10-20 suggested donation. Sunday: Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island), 8 p.m., free. For information, visit CarlisleEvansPeck.bandcamp.com.
Saturday, February 6 – Outshyne. Touring country musicians in concert. Red Rodeo (1720 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. $5 cover. For information, call (309)206-8508 or visit TheRedRodeo.com.
Monday, February 8 – Valley Maker. A Moeller Mondays concert with singer/songwriter Austin Crane. Village Theatre (2113 East 11th Street, Davenport). For information, visit MoellerMondays.com.
Wednesday, February 10 – Andy Frasco & the U.N. Rock and soul musicians in concert, with opening sets by Groovement and the Low Down. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $9.50-10. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Thursday, February 11 – John Primer. Concert with the Grammy and Blues Music Award nominee, with an opening set by the 2016 Winter Blues All-Stars. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $13.75-17. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org. For a 2013 interview with Primer, visit RCReader.com/y/primer.
Friday, February 12 – The Multiple Cat. Record-release party for the area rockers, with sets by Dirty Swears and Just Let Go. Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 9 p.m. $10. For information, call (309)200-0978 or visit RozzTox.com.
Friday, February 12 – Davina & the Vagabonds. Jazz, blues, and roots musicians in concert, with an opening set by the Appleseed Collective. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $13.75-17. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org. For a 2013 interview with Davina Sowers, visit RCReader.com/y/davina.
Friday, February 12 – Tyler Hammond Band. Georgia-based country musicians in concert. Red Rodeo (1720 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. $5 cover. For information, call (309)206-8508 or visit TheRedRodeo.com.
Friday, February 12 – Bobby McFerrin. Pop artist and 10-time Grammy Award winner in concert, in a Hancher Auditorium presentation. Riverside Casino & Event Center (3184 Highway 22, Riverside). 7:30 p.m. $10-45. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit Hancher.UIowa.edu.
Saturday, February 13 – The Guess Who. Concert with the chart-topping pop musicians of “American Woman” fame. Riverside Casino & Event Center (3184 Highway 22, Riverside). 8 p.m. $30-55. For tickets and information, call (877)677-3456 or visit RiversideCasinoAndResort.com.
Saturday, February 13 – David Brooks & the Piano Man Xperience. Tribute concert to piano greats including Elton John, Billy Joel, Ray Charles, Little Richard, Liberace, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Ohnward Fine Arts Center (1215 East Platt Street, Maquoketa). 7 p.m. $13-25. For tickets and information, call (563)652-9815 or visit OhnwardFineArtsCenter.com.
Saturday, February 13 – Smooth Jazz Valentines Concert. Great Sounds Promotions presents a romantic concert event with guitarist Marc Antoine and saxophonist Phil Denny. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $45-50. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Saturday, February 13, and Sunday, February 14 – The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass. The Nova Singers and guest artists Monroe Crossing, under the direction of Laura Lane, perform traditional choral music with folk and bluegrass stylings. Saturday: Knox College’s Kresge Recital Hall (2 East South Street, Galesburg), 7:30 p.m. Sunday: St. Paul Lutheran Church (2136 Brady Street, Davenport), 4 p.m. $15-18. For tickets and information, call (309)341-7038 or visit NovaSingers.com.
Sunday, February 14 – Rayland Baxter. Concert with the singer/songwriter in support of his new album Imaginary Man, featuring an opening set by Margaret Glaspy. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 9 p.m. $11.50-14. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Sunday, February 14 – Gaelic Storm. Concert with the Celtic-rock and world musicians. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 7 p.m. $35. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Tuesday, February 16 – Amy Grant & Steven Curtis Chapman. Grammy- and Dove-winning contemporary-Christian artists in concert. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $45-95. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Wednesday, February 17 – LIZZO. Alternative hip-hop artist Melissa Jefferson in concert as part of the Daytrotter Downs festival. Daytrotter (324 Brady Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $16.82. For tickets and information, visit Daytrotter.com.
Wednesday, February 17 – Wu Man & Shanghai Quartet. Contemporary and classical repertoires with the Chinese musicians. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $10-33.50. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
THEATRE
Thursday, February 4 – Inheritors. River Action hosts a reading of the abridged version of Susan Glaspell’s Davenport-set drama, directed by Aaron Randolph III. Figge Art Museum (225 West Second Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. For information, call (563)322-2969 or visit RiverAction.org.
Thursday, February 4, through Saturday, February 13 – Food & Fadwa. Lameece Issaq’s and Jacob Kader’s comedy/drama about a Palestinian woman living in Bethlehem, directed by Marina Bergenstock. University of Iowa’s David Thayer Theatre (200 North Riverside Drive, Iowa City). Wednesday-Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. $5-18. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit Theatre.UIowa.edu.
Friday, February 5, through Saturday, February 13 – The Great God Plan. Dreamwell Theatre’s production of Amy Herzog’s family drama, directed by Joseph Anderson. Public Space One (120 North Dubuque Street, Iowa City). Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m. $10-13. For tickets and information, call (319)423-9820 or visit Dreamwell.com.
Thursday, February 11, through Sunday, February 14 – 2016 10-Minute Play Festival. Premieres of works by undergraduate playwrights, in a Gallery Series presentation. University Of Iowa’s Theatre B (200 North Riverside Drive, Iowa City). Thursday-Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. $5. For information, call (319)335-2700 or visit Theatre.UIowa.edu.
Friday, February 12, through Saturday, February 20 – Moon Over Buffalo. Ken Ludwig’s Tony-nominated backstage comedy, directed by Heather Schmidt. District Theatre (1724 Fourth Avenue, Rock Island). Thursday-Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. $20. For tickets and information, call (309)235-1654 or visit DistrictTheatre.com.
Friday, February 12, through Sunday, February 21 – Sweeney Todd. The City Circle Acting Company of Coralville's production of Stephen Sondheim's "demon barber of Fleet Street" musical, directed by Mark Christopher Baer. Coralville Center for the Performing Arts (1301 Fifth Street, Coralville). Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. $12-27. For tickets and information, call 319-248-9369 or visit CityCircle.org.
DANCE
Thursday, February 11, through Saturday, February 13 – University of Iowa Department of Dance Faculty/Graduate Concert. Choreographed vignettes with professional and amateur dancers. University of Iowa’s Space/Place Theatre (20 Davenport Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $6-12. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit Hancher.UIowa.edu.
COMEDY
Friday, February 12, and Saturday, February 13 – Hooking Up with the Second City. Romance- and breakup-themed sketches with the touring comedy troupe. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $28.50-33.50. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
LITERATURE
Thursday, February 11 – SPECTRA: Local Lovers Open Mic. Original poems, songs, stories, soliloquies, and rants co-sponsored by the Midwest Writing Center. Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. Free. For information, call (563)324-1410 or visit RozzTox.com and MWCQC.org.
EXHIBIT
Friday, February 12, through Friday, April 1 – Janet Checker & Barbara Walton. Exhibit of oil paintings by Checker of Galena and encaustic art by Barbara Walton of Ames. Quad City Arts Center (1715 Second Avenue, Rock Island). Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. For information, call (309)793-1213 or visit QuadCityArts.com.
EVENTS
Friday, February 5 – 2016 Bacon & Beer Festival. Annual event featuring samples of more than 100 craft beers and bacon delicacies, with area chefs competing for the Squealer Award. Davenport RiverCenter (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 6 p.m. $25-30. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit RiverCtr.com.
Saturday, February 6 – Shipwrecked in Gilligan’s Garden. Wintertime party featuring live music, island games, food and beverages, and a “coconut station,” with attendees encouraged to dress as their favorite Gilligan’s Island characters. Quad City Botanical Center (2525 Fourth Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. $20. For tickets and information, call (309)794-0991 or visit QCGardens.com.
Tuesday, February 9 – Rajun Cajun Food Fest. Annual fundraising event featuring Cajun- and Creole-inspired cuisine, specialty cocktails, dancing, and more. Figge Art Museum (225 West Second Street, Davenport). 5 p.m. $30-35. For information and to reserve, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArtMuseum.org.
Friday, February 12, through Sunday, February 14 – 22nd-Annual Iowa Illinois Regional Auto Show. Event showcasing more than 350 2016 vehicles, vendors, displays, and more. Davenport RiverCenter (136 East Third Street, Davenport). Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-5p.m. $3-8, children six and under free, children 12 and under free on Sunday. For tickets and information, visit QuadCityAutoShow.com.
